Burrowing Owl
In the darkness of night, a burrowing owl seeks food for its owlets, safely hidden in their den. Have you ever heard an owl hoot at night?
Can you make that sound too?
What other kinds of animals come out in the night?
Can you make that sound too?
What other kinds of animals come out in the night?
Most owls are nocturnal, but some, like the burrowing owl, are crepuscular - meaning that they are active in twilight hours as well as in the night. Insects that are lively at dusk and dawn are part of the diet of these small, long-legged owls which is why you might see them perched on a rock or post watching for their next meal to flit by. At night the owls hunt for rodents, their long legs allowing them to scurry and scamper across the ground in pursuit of prey.
What is most unique about this species of owl is its nesting habits. It seeks out empty burrows created by other animals but can also dig out its own shallow, underground nest. The owls line their nests with a variety of materials and sometimes collect animal dung, spreading it around the entrance to the nest to attract beetles for food.
Burrowing owls are endangered and threatened in most of their range, in large part to human activity and the destruction of their natural habitat.
What is most unique about this species of owl is its nesting habits. It seeks out empty burrows created by other animals but can also dig out its own shallow, underground nest. The owls line their nests with a variety of materials and sometimes collect animal dung, spreading it around the entrance to the nest to attract beetles for food.
Burrowing owls are endangered and threatened in most of their range, in large part to human activity and the destruction of their natural habitat.
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